Shakespeare Carolina presents Moliere's The Misanthrope, June 12-22nd at The Duke Energy Theatre at Spirit Square, 345 N College St, Charlotte, NC 28202, in a new verse adaptation by Timothy Mooney. Moliere may have penned the play in 1666, but his tale of a man whose distaste for social artifice has earned him the title of Misanthrope, is every bit as relevant today. In this distinctly modern production, Alceste (Robert Brafford) is a busker determined to be honest and blunt in all of his communication but he has ironically fallen in love with the woman who embodies everything he hates. The beautiful but artificial pop princess Celimene (Caryn Crye) is set on enjoying her youth and reveling in society's adoration. A cast of quirky characters further complicate the matter: a manager with terrible songwriting skills, a pair of suitors, an envious publicist, and scheming and inept personal assistants. Friend to Alceste, Philinte (Norman Burt) and cousin to Celimene, Eliante (Kylene Edson) try to to temper the extremes of their friends but even they can't prevent this conflict and the hilarity that ensues. The cast also includes: Emmanuel Barbe, Maggie Monahan, Kevin Aoussou, Kristen Heritage, and Ted Patterson.